Harmonic has announced that SK Broadband, Korea’s major telecommunications company, has deployed its Direct-2-Edge (D2E) solution for the world’s largest commercial launch of cable IPTV.

Encompassing the company’s NSG 9000 universal edgeQAMs and D2E control software, the deployment enables SK Broadband to provide a uniform broadcast IPTV service across its cable, xDSL, and FTTx access networks. Subscribers can also receive Internet access of up to 150Mb/s to the home, powered by Harmonic’s NSG 9000 using a modular CMTS (M-CMTS) architecture and delivered to a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem.

The D2E solution addresses the significant challenges associated with delivering DOCSIS-based video content over traditional M-CMTS architectures. By eliminating the routing of video streams through the CMTS, Harmonic said its bypass approach provides an estimated 70 percent infrastructure cost-savings.

The Direct-2-Edge solution determines the optimal flow of video and data traffic, sending video streams directly to IPTV set-top-boxes, personal computers, or other IP devices. It integrates with existing M-CMTS architectures used for data delivery, and is optimally suited for hybrid operators deploying a uniform IPTV service across varied access networks transitioning to all-IP transmission.